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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29155020">Stay</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tayani/pseuds/Tayani'>Tayani</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Persona 5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>2/2 Fic, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, let Ren be sad: the fic, or at least attempted comfort</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 09:48:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,106</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29155020</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tayani/pseuds/Tayani</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“We have to win this, no matter what.”</p><p>With a strange feeling of detachment, Ren watched Akechi turn around and walk away, leaving him with these words echoing through the empty cafe.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>137</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Stay</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“We have to win this, no matter what.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a strange feeling of detachment, Ren watched Akechi turn around and walk away, leaving him with those words echoing through the empty cafe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It didn’t feel real. Nothing in Maruki’s reality had felt truly </span>
  <em>
    <span>real </span>
  </em>
  <span>for a long time - nothing except Goro. And now, even he seemed to dissolve and disappear in the fluorescent glare.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there was nothing. A future Ren had already started to make plans for, a life which might have been so beautiful. In the silence of Leblanc, it all crumbled to dust and fell around him like shards of glass, cutting his skin all the way down to the heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was only when he saw Goro stop, hand on the door handle, and then turn, alarm written all over his face when Ren realized he started to cry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Perhaps he should have felt ashamed of himself, then. To show this kind of face to his rival; to put out in the open how hurt, how </span>
  <em>
    <span>weak </span>
  </em>
  <span>he was. But right now, he had no capacity for feeling anything but the gnawing emptiness and heartbreak, and the knowledge that this was </span>
  <em>
    <span>his </span>
  </em>
  <span>decision, </span>
  <em>
    <span>his </span>
  </em>
  <span>fault.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tomorrow, the man he loved will be no more and Ren was the one who had to bear the responsibility for it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He saw Goro hesitate, and that hurt even more, somehow. Ren turned, trying to wipe the stubborn tears, muffle away the sobs that kept slipping from his lips. He wanted - oh, so many contradictory things. To be left alone; to be embraced; to be cared for and to protect everyone from everything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, he felt a hesitant hand rest over his shaking back and then a voice, angry and demanding he show himself, demanding he answer </span>
  <em>
    <span>why </span>
  </em>
  <span>he’s crying over such a trivial decision.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What can you reply? What can you say when the boy you love asks why you cry over his death? Ren didn’t know, so he didn’t think about what to answer. Words - most of which he didn’t even remember thinking - tore out of his mouth. He was screaming, even though he’d never heard himself scream before, and the shock of it somehow made Goro stay, made him </span>
  <em>
    <span>listen</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And once all the broken confessions, all the anger at being forced to make this decision, all the grief at having to lose him again, once all of that was out… Goro did the one thing Ren had never expected him to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Warm arms wrapped around his frame. Suddenly, his face, all wet with tears and snot, had been pressed into the comforting softness of Goro’s scarf. Ren had always imagined being hugged by Goro would be awkward - gods knew he had zero experience with positive human contact - but it wasn’t. Goro’s hold was strong and warm and </span>
  <em>
    <span>safe</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re pathetic,” Goro said, in the same tone of voice another person would confess their love. Ren smiled weakly into his scarf and heard the other boy sigh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you can care this much for someone like me… how will you ever stop hurting yourself?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ren shivered. His arms came up now, wrapping desperately around Goro, afraid he’ll be let go, pushed away. He never did, but his grip remained just as tight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...shall I stay with you tonight?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Goro’s voice was… soft. What’s more, his words matched the tone this time. Slowly, Ren moved back, his body shaking with hiccups.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t pity me,” he said. He could </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel </span>
  </em>
  <span>Goro blink back at him and then scowl. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should know by now I don’t do </span>
  <em>
    <span>shit </span>
  </em>
  <span>if I don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>want </span>
  </em>
  <span>to do it,” he growled and, in a much more in-character display, grabbed Ren by his collar and dragged him upstairs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leave us,” he snapped at Morgana, who took one look at Ren’s shaking hands and tear-stained face and nodded, jumping downstairs. Ren took a sharp breath and then yelped when, once more, he was suddenly being crushed in a strong hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re an idiot,” Goro told him, and Ren had to agree; but the other wasn’t done. “Always caring so ridiculously much for people who don’t deserve it; a sentimental fool. I hate it so much, watching that little display of yours is making me </span>
  <em>
    <span>sick</span>
  </em>
  <span>. You know why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Goro didn’t wait for Ren to reply. He hugged him tighter; it was almost painful, but Ren welcomed it. It made him feel important; made him feel </span>
  <em>
    <span>warm</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Goro took a deep breath and said, lips suddenly much closer to Ren’s neck than he remembered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because every time I see how much you care, I can’t help but think… If you can care this much for a waste of space like me… you must care for everyone. And I don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span>… I </span>
  <em>
    <span>hate </span>
  </em>
  <span>the idea of sharing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ren stared. Due to their current position, he stared into Goro’s hair, but did so nonetheless. The confession - for it </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>a confession - startled him so much he swallowed the last hiccup that tried to get out of his throat. He could almost </span>
  <em>
    <span>hear </span>
  </em>
  <span>Goro’s sharp, deprecating smile in his voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re this shocked to know how possessive I am? I thought you’d have known.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I-” Ren inhaled sharply as another wave of sobs threatened to take over his voice. He didn’t calm down entirely yet and articulating the million and one thoughts racing through his head was </span>
  <em>
    <span>difficult</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He closed his eyes shut and dug his fingers into Goro’s back, holding on for dear life. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you don’t want to share, then come find me,” he said, stuttering through sobs. “Tomorrow. When it’s all over.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ren-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. Shut up. Just… Just do it. We’ll wake up and… and you’ll come find me. Wherever you are. Wherever </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>am.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A beat of silence; then another one. A long sigh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know I cannot promise you that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ren smiled bitterly, though Goro couldn’t see it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never thought you’d hesitate to lie to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d never lie about something like </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Ren. You know that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Slowly, Ren moved away. His hands fell limply by his sides. His whole body was still trembling. After the intensity of the last few moments, he felt weak as a kitten and very tired. Goro let him go, but didn’t move an inch away. His russet eyes bore into Ren’s, searching, almost worried. Ren rubbed his face and let out another sigh. And then, in a very small voice…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...will you really stay with me? Until it’s time?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And again, with so much softness Ren had to make sure this was still real, still the two of them, Goro answered:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”  </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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